1970 MEMC builds a plant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. 2.25" wafers go into commercial production.
1971 Intel fits all the arithmetic and logic functions onto a silicon chip, the first programmable microprocessor. The "4004" packs 2250 transistors onto a chip; it is used for a calculator. IBM also develops the memory disk and floppy disk.
1973 3" wafers go into commercial production at the St. Peters Plant.
1975 Hewlett Packard introduces the first programmable "pocket" calculator.
1975 Microsoft is formed by renaming the Bill Gates and Paul Allen company, "Traf-O-Data". Also, the MITS Altair, the first personal computer, is available in kit form. It sells 2000 kits, all that MITS can make.
1975 4 " (100mm) wafers go into commercial production at the St. Peters Plant.
1976 Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak begin marketing the Apple I personal computer in kit form.
1977 Dynamit Nobel Silicon builds a second plant in Italy. "Novara" is designed as an R&D facility.
1978 Texas Instruments introduces the first single-chip speech synthesizer and incorporates it into a new toy called "Speak and Spell". Thirty percent of all watches sold are digital watches.
1979 MEMC introduces 5" (125mm) wafer production at the St. Peters Plant.
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